The Lost Hero Finds Himself
by NobodyAtItAgain
Summary: Hera's plan comes undone as Percy gets help from the most unexpected place.


Percy wiped away the golden monster dust off the end of his sword. Taking a second to admire his handy work, the young teen returned his magical sword-pen to his pocket. The three gorgons had been following him for days now, always somehow coming back to life and terrorizing him once more. Why hadn't Lupa mentioned this? It was hard enough trying to find his way around California. (At least he remembered how to use a GPS). But doing so with amnesia and with fictional monsters chasing him? Not your everyday trip to the golden state.

Getting a bright idea, the demigod used his Napa Bargain Mart bag to collect the golden dust. It only took him about thirty minutes of walking along the highway before he came upon a gas station. The overweight cashier, collapsed in a chair way too small for him, said nothing as Percy headed to the back restroom.

The demigod slowly poured the dust into the toilet, making sure to flush to prevent any stoppage. Already some of the dust had begun to clump back together into flesh and bone, but a few swiped of his sword reconciled that problem. After a few minutes of work the demigod had successfully dumped the monster remains into the sewage.

With a smirk the demigod walked out of the restroom and used some of his cash to purchase a gatorade. Percy highly doubted the gorgons would be reforming any time soon. Their dust would be separated and filtered away from each other at a treatment center. And when the monster did finally reform, they would be stuck inside whatever tank the water ended up in.

"That was a strategy worth of Athena," The dark voice startled Percy as he walked out of the 7-11. "Although, even the stupidest demigod should know that blood of the gorgon can heal any illness; even memory. Perhaps I can forgive your idiocy, considering your current situation."

Percy was rather indignant at the insult statements. However, he wasn't quite feeling up for an argument after the gorgon marathon.

"What do you want," asked the demigod. Percy also reached his hand down to his pen, worrying about the way the man had appeared from nowhere.

"Tisk, Tisk. One would think that a child of the big three would have been more powerful than this. But you didn't even feel me coming! Much less recognize my aura. Pathetic," sneered the talk and thing man. His skin was a light color, but almost olive at the same time. Percy couldn't tell if he was part Italian, or if it was just the light. "I'm here to resolve a debt."

"I don't owe anything..." Percy began to take a step back, the situation was really creeping him out.

"Not _your_ debt. Mine." The man pulled closed his hand into a fist, and when he opened it again a black pill was in the palm. "This will return your memories."

The obscure man tossed the pill to Percy, who was hesitant to catch it out of the air. Looking down onto the item, Percy noticed it seemed to absorb all light into it.

"Why should I trust you?" Asked the demigod.

"Ha! I'm a _god!_ If I wanted to kill you I would," said the man, once again giving a sneer. "I wouldn't go through such schemes as to poison you. To much effort for a mortal. But perhaps I should give you some more assurance."

The man then said some words in another language and thunder rolled through the skies. Percy somehow recognized the Greek words as an oath promising no harm. Didn't Lupa say something about natural language skills?

Whatever. Percy looked down at the pill in his hand. He _really_ wanted to remember. With a gulp of gatorade the pill went down his throat.

In seconds the young demigod developed the worse headache _ever_. It was like a stampede of Pegasus were in his mind. Wait... Pegasus? Blackjack... Where was he again? Camp Halfblood! And he was there with...

"Annabeth," the name slipped out of Percy's lips in a wisher.

"Ah I see it worked. Good, sometimes it's too much for a mortal mind to take."

Percy looked up at the god.

"Hades!?" Percy couldn't think of a reason for the god to owe him a 'debt'. "Why?"

"You returned my helm," began the god. "You see; me returning your mother did not adequately satisfy my debt to you for recovering my weapon. As I had taken the mortal without cause (considering you were not the thief of my helm) I had no right to keep her in the underworld before her time and would have been forced by the fates to return her to life _anyways._ "

"And now was a great opportunity to settle the debt without much effort on your own part," finished Percy. "How convenient for you."

"Indeed," smirked the god of the underworld. "As I understand it my brother never rewarded you either for returning his bolt. You should ask him for something before he settles his debt, like I have. Well.. after he stops his lockdown of olympus."

"Lockdown!?"

"Oh, yes. Of course, since I don't live on Olympus I can do whatever I want." Hades gained the largest smirk at that comment.

"H-How am I supposed to get back to New York?" asked the son of Poseidon.

"Did you not hear what I said earlier!? You are the son of one of the big three. A _half_ god! Do you think my son is the only one that can teleport!? Use your powers! Pathetic!" The scowling god deconstructed into a swirl of darkness, leaving Percy with still more questions than ever.

He remembered his talk with Hera. That evil god had tricked him by asking him to help save Olympus again. She never specified what would needed to be done. She flashed him to her palace on Olympus, where she claimed they would discuss the 'upcoming threat'. Instead, she drugged him with something in a glass of water. She had taken advantage of his trust in his fathers element.

This time he would be more careful, as gods couldn't interfere or fight mortals without a challenge or permission from said mortal. Those were the ancient laws. If Percy hadn't agreed to help her 'in any way possible', then she couldn't have taken that as permission to drug him.

Percy pulled out the small GPS that Lupa had given him in the Napa Bargain Mart bag. Lupa... that was Roman. And everything that Lupa had taught him was using Roman names and language. The wolf had told him that the GPS would take him to a safe place. What was going on?

Okay. Percy took a breath and tried to think like Annabeth.

He was in California; the part of the US that Chiron told demigods never to go to. There was a roman goddess over here and she said there was a safe place to go to; the only other safe place he knew of was a camp for demigods. Was this another camp? A roman camp?

Why hadn't he heard of it before? Lupa had tried her hardest to make him only use roman names. Furthemore, she taught him to use Riptide in what he was guessing was a roman form. Obviously she didn't wanted him to appear Greek. She wanted to keep the camps separate, not expose them to another. So many more question popped into Percy's brain. If he wanted any answers then he would have to go to this camp.

* * *

Percy felt the presence this time. A electricity that made all the hair on his arms stand up. Was this what Hades meant by sensing?

The old lady sitting in the bushes was even more repulsive than a gorgon. She looked like a hippie who'd been kicked to the side of the road maybe forty years ago, where she'd been collecting trash and rags ever since. She wore a dress made of tie-dyed cloth, ripped-up quilts, and plastic grocery bags. Her frizzy mop of hair was gray-brown, like root-beer foam, tied back with a peace-sign headband. Warts and moles covered her face. When she smiled, she showed exactly three teeth.

"It isn't a maintenance tunnel," she confided. "It's the entrance to camp." Percy's senses went crazy, this wasn't his camp. This was dangerous. Enemy territory.

Was this feeling why the camps had been separated? Was there some kind of danger? Percy decided to play along with whoever this goddess was.

"Not much time, child. You need to make your choice."

"If you mean the gorgons, I wouldn't worry," Percy said. The goddess simply raised her eyebrows. "Who are you?"

"Oh, you can call me June." The old lady's eyes sparkled as if she'd made an excellent joke. "It is June, isn't it? They named the month after me!"

Named after the month... Juno! HERA! Percy didn't let his revelation show on his face. He was much too curious at this point, he would let the goddess play all her cards first.

"You have a choice."

"A choice?" Questioned Percy.

"Yes, a choice," June said, as if she were in no hurry. "You could leave me here at the mercy of the gorgons and go to the ocean. You'd make it there safely, I guarantee. The gorgons will be quite happy to attack me and let you go. In the sea, no monster would bother you. You could begin a new life, live to a ripe old age, and escape a great deal of pain and misery that is in your future."

"I told you, the gorgons aren't a problem anymore," said Percy.

"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure."

Percy had no doubt at this point that Hera was at least partially responsible for the Gorgons coming after him. She was using their danger to try to make him make a choice. Of course, with his memories he knew that she was perfectly capable of protecting herself.

"What's the other option?"

"Or you could do a good deed for an old lady," she said. "Carry me to the camp with you."

"Carry you?" Percy hoped she was kidding. Then June hiked up her skirts and showed him her swollen purple feet.

"I can't get there by myself," she said. "Carry me to camp—across the highway, through the tunnel, across the river."

Percy wondered what she was getting at. Crossing a river was effortless for a Son of Poseidon. Heck, it was easier than walking on dry land. Why would she have him do should a menial task?

Percy looked at the old lady. "And I'd carry you to this camp because—?"

"Because it's a kindness!" she said. "And if you don't, the gods will die, the world we know will perish, and everyone from your old life will be destroyed. Of course, you wouldn't remember them, so I suppose it won't matter. You'd be safe at the bottom of the sea.…"

Ahhh, here we go. Hera was talking about the 'threat' again. If only she would actually _explain._

"If I go to the camp," Percy played along,"will I get my memory back?"

"Eventually," June said. "But be warned, you will sacrifice much! You'll lose the mark of Achilles. You'll feel pain, misery, and loss beyond anything you've ever known. But you might have a chance to save your old friends and family, to reclaim your old life."

Lose the Mark of Achilles! How would that help stop whatever threat was coming?

"No."

"Good, pick me u- wait! NO!?"

"No. I'm not satisfied by your explanation. Why would losing my Mark, carrying you across this river, help in any way?" question Percy. He needed to press just a bit more, then he would have her spilling everything.

"It is a sacrifice. Sacrifices have great power," said the goddess. Percy thought she was just full of crap.

"Goodbye. I think I'll go into the ocean, maybe find someone to help with my memory," said Percy turning around. That should scare Hera. Atlantis would no doubt have medicine capable of undoing memory loss, not to mention his father's palace being there. Him going to Atlantis would unravel whatever plan that Hera had.

"Wait!" Percy turned back around, hoping for some answers. "You wouldn't let me die to those gorgons?" The goddess was trying to play on his fatal flaw. Of course, he knew she would be fine.

"You'll be fine... Juno."

The demigod's statement caused the goddess to gape. How had he figured it out? Calling herself June must have been to obvious...

"This is your last chance to tell me what is going on," warned the son of the sea. "The gorgons mentioned Gaea?"

The ground rumbled beneath their feet, nearly knocking them both over. Juno gave out a sigh, changing from the ugly old woman into a woman more attractive than any mortal supermodel. She had wavy black hair that barely tumbled over her shoulder. Her chin came to a perfect rounded point that emphasized her perfect face. She was truly the queen of gods.

"Yes... she's rising," Juno spit the words out like acid. Obviously she didn't like him blackmailing her.

"Obviously. I got that from the gorgons. Why do you need _me_?" asked Percy.

"Zeus would rather stick his head in the sand than prepare for the threat," explained the goddess with no little bit of scorn. "I've had to take actions on my own. You'll be a unifying leader that will be key to the coming war. This is all I can say."

Percy truly got mad then. He now realized what she wanted. She wanted him to unify the camps, and to do so she wiped his memory, took him away from Annabeth, and wanted to take away his Mark of Achilles. Surely there was a simpler way? Like sending him to the other camp and being, 'Gaea is rising and you'll need to work together or everyone will die!'. Surely these romans would follow the word of the gods? Or at least have some self preservation...

Within a single second Percy had uncapped Riptide and had it to the throat of the goddess.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right where you stand - Hera," Percy spat her name like the worst cuss word in existence. The goddess' face went through an array of emotion; confusion, shock, fear, anger.

"H-How?"

"Unlike you, I've made friends in this world. Not enemies," said Percy. Hopefully she would spend some hours think over that one. "Now tell me why I shouldn't put this through your throat."

At the point the goddess stood up straighter and looked the demigod in the eye. "Do you really believe you can take on a goddess?"

"I've done it before. Besides, Zeus would notice you using your powers. He _really_ wouldn't be happy with you breaking the lockdown on Olympus, would he?"

"How do you know about the lockdown..." muttered the now concerned goddess, knowing she now wasn't in a good position. She couldn't use her powers because Zeus would notice any really big surges of energy. Then he would be keeping an eye on her, and she wouldn't be able to prepare for the coming war.

"You arrogant gods. Thinking your way is the only way. Zeus still owes me for retrieving his lightning bolt, remember?" said Percy as he lowered his sword. "I could simply request my reward be that he prepare for a war with the Earth. Maybe if you had talked first I could have mentioned it."

Percy turn around and started walking for the beach he could see. It wasn't that far. The demigod of the sea was up to his ankles by the time Hera had gotten over her shock and ran towards him.

"The Romans and Greeks need to work together! They need you!" cried out the goddess.

"Maybe you should have explained that to me before you pissed me off," spat Percy. "I've been gone for months. My gods, Annabeth must be losing her mind. Besides, why don't you just setup some king of gladiator fight. The romans respect those, _right_?"

Hades said he could teleport. How? He reached for his gut like he did for all his other powers. Then he started to think of camp half-blood. Unfortunately, he couldn't quite get it. Percy thought of Annabeth, using her to fuel his powers. Within seconds he had dissolved into seawater. Leaving a distraught goddess behind.

* * *

Annabeth was sitting on the Camp HalfBlood beach in the same spot that she and Percy would sit after the Titan war. She had one of his shirts on, but his smell did nothing but make the sadness even worse. There was already talk of burning his shroud.

Suddenly the waves on the beach began to churn. They rose in height and slammed back down on the beach. The Daughter of Athena backed off from the sea. Was Poseidon mad at her?

The water began swirling into a whirlpool about five meters out. In an instant it inverted upwards and a body formed out of it.

"P-percy?" Annabeth barely mumbled the name out.

"Oh Wise Girl. Have I ever told you how much I hate Hera?"


End file.
